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You know, I'm a general Green Lantern Fan. I like all of em.
Hal, Guy, John, Kyle, Alan etc.
But there's always been this odd habit of fans who are more attached to one Lantern over the other to dump on the ones they don't like.
Kyle gets the worst of this.
Yes Emerald Twilight put Hal in a bad spot
Yes, It alienated a lot of long-time readers
Yes Kyle was brought in in a manner that was outside the original tradition.
But why hate the character himself?
Think about it. everything that happened in ET would have happened anyway with a few minor points.
The Green Lantern Civil War version would have seen the institution of the Sinestro Corps much earlier
Hal Jordan still would have left the Corps and gone on to be a non-ring wearing character (said situation might have even lasted until Final Night and ended as it did)
Kyle and we'll say for argument's sake that he would have been named as he was regardless would then still have gotten the ring anyway.
Now, first tier Superheroes just get updated
Superman: Man of Steel
Batman: Year One
Wonder Woman: Volume 2 (I dunno! she never got an intro-mini-series for her reboot just the first six or so issues of her own title that are now collected as Gods and Mortals)
Aquaman: Well, took a couple of tries there before they went with Time and Tide and later added the Hook Hand and beard
the second Teir heroes as we discussed got replaced by younger versions just as they themselves replaced the JSA members of the same names.
Of the replacements though, Kyle is the most hated.
why?
Well, there is the factor of his less than traditional Corps induction.
granted.
But, and I hasten to point this out! That was based on the idea that they wanted someone with whom the younger fans could relate.
the space race was long gone Top Gun was even old news by that point. College students who grew up reading comics were the larger market by that point in terms of Superhero books. (kids were mostly reading Tiny Toons or animaniacs or Power Rangers) so when the newest Green Lantern is a just out of college struggling comic-style artist? well, that's a pretty easy thing to relate to. (Plus I bet most readers would say then (and even now!) getting to draw guys like Superman and the Hulk for a living, is a way cool job description)
It's funny, in the latest issue of Green Lantern Corps Kyle thinks "what if one of my drinking buddies had gone out there before me?"
The answer is? nothing! (and perhaps in a future recon we'll see that Ganthet didn't just randomly pick you. he just told you that because things had changed and there was no way to give you the classical rookie treatment.
(Much as Ben Kenobi had to guide Luke in his own way rather than put Luke through the classical Jedi training)
I'm not saying Hal or Barry or Ray Palmer's time was over and done with, (although I wouldn't put them at the same level as Bruce, Clark or Diana either) but, i would say, that it was time for them to take a step back and let the next generation step up.
Hal, Guy, John, Kyle, Alan etc.
But there's always been this odd habit of fans who are more attached to one Lantern over the other to dump on the ones they don't like.
Kyle gets the worst of this.
Yes Emerald Twilight put Hal in a bad spot
Yes, It alienated a lot of long-time readers
Yes Kyle was brought in in a manner that was outside the original tradition.
But why hate the character himself?
Think about it. everything that happened in ET would have happened anyway with a few minor points.
The Green Lantern Civil War version would have seen the institution of the Sinestro Corps much earlier
Hal Jordan still would have left the Corps and gone on to be a non-ring wearing character (said situation might have even lasted until Final Night and ended as it did)
Kyle and we'll say for argument's sake that he would have been named as he was regardless would then still have gotten the ring anyway.
Now, first tier Superheroes just get updated
Superman: Man of Steel
Batman: Year One
Wonder Woman: Volume 2 (I dunno! she never got an intro-mini-series for her reboot just the first six or so issues of her own title that are now collected as Gods and Mortals)
Aquaman: Well, took a couple of tries there before they went with Time and Tide and later added the Hook Hand and beard
the second Teir heroes as we discussed got replaced by younger versions just as they themselves replaced the JSA members of the same names.
Of the replacements though, Kyle is the most hated.
why?
Well, there is the factor of his less than traditional Corps induction.
granted.
But, and I hasten to point this out! That was based on the idea that they wanted someone with whom the younger fans could relate.
the space race was long gone Top Gun was even old news by that point. College students who grew up reading comics were the larger market by that point in terms of Superhero books. (kids were mostly reading Tiny Toons or animaniacs or Power Rangers) so when the newest Green Lantern is a just out of college struggling comic-style artist? well, that's a pretty easy thing to relate to. (Plus I bet most readers would say then (and even now!) getting to draw guys like Superman and the Hulk for a living, is a way cool job description)
It's funny, in the latest issue of Green Lantern Corps Kyle thinks "what if one of my drinking buddies had gone out there before me?"
The answer is? nothing! (and perhaps in a future recon we'll see that Ganthet didn't just randomly pick you. he just told you that because things had changed and there was no way to give you the classical rookie treatment.
(Much as Ben Kenobi had to guide Luke in his own way rather than put Luke through the classical Jedi training)
I'm not saying Hal or Barry or Ray Palmer's time was over and done with, (although I wouldn't put them at the same level as Bruce, Clark or Diana either) but, i would say, that it was time for them to take a step back and let the next generation step up.
Take life with a Grain of salt and a shot of tequila!
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